Aerial navigation.



M. B. SELLERS.

AERIAL NAVIGATION.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19, 1913.

1,096,1 30. Patented May 12, 1914.

Imcwkw WW maze MATTHEW B. SELLERS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

AERIAL NAVIGATION.

Original application filed August 8, 1912, Serial No. 714,081.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 1914.

Divided and this application filed February 19, 1913. Serial No. 749,412.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTHEW B. SELLERS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Baltimore, State of Maryland, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Aerial Navigation, of which the following is a specification.

The present application is a division of my prior application filed August 8th, 1912, Serial No. 714,081, and is for an aeroplane steering (or control) device. This steering device is an improvement on the one described in my patent of July 11, 1911, No. 997,860. In that patent the handle bar, Fig ure 14:, when turned or swung around in a horizontal plane, operated the vertical rudder, and the wing ends for lateral balance, conjointly. It was soon found unsatisfactory to combine the steering and warping in one motion, and the improvement herein described was found to give the best results.

In the drawing, the figure is an elevation of the steering device looked at from the rear.

The steering bar 5, is journaled in the tube 4, which tube is rigidly attached to the block 2 pivoted at 3, on the post 1, which post is pivoted at its ends. The drum 7, is afiixed to the steering bar 5, and the block 2 carries the upwardly projecting arm 8, having two guide pulleys at its upper end. The cords 9, 9 are fastened to the drum, pass over the guide pulleys 10 and lead to the top wings in the manner described in the previous patent cited, and there shown in Figs. 1 and 12 at Y that is pulling on the right cord depresses the rear of right wing increasing its angle] of attack, and vice versa. If now the drum is rotated backward (i. e. toward the observer) the cords 9, 9', are both tightened, thus increasing the angle of attack of both sides or wings of the top plane, causing the machine to incline upward for ascent, and vice versa. If however, the handle bar is tipped or inclined, that is if one end is depressed, as shown in the drawing, then the cord 9 is tightened, While 9 is slackened, thus increasing the angle of one wing, while diminishing that of the other wing, thereby operatin to control lateral stability. The lines from the ends of the handle bar run to the rudder, as before, so that turning the bar in a horizontal plane, turns the machine to right or left. It is thus seen that with this device, each function of steering may be effected independently; for, rotating the bar on its long axis operates the elevation (controls ascent and descent), turning the bar in a horizontal plane, controls direction; and inclining the bar in a vertical plane controls the transverse balance of the machine.

In the machine herein referred to, which is a quadruplane, the forward and highest plane acts both as an elevator and lateral stabilizer as just stated; but in a similar machine having but two planes, the forward plane would not have sufficient leverage to be used as an elevator, hence a separate elevator would be desirable, in which case the lines from the elevator are led directly to the drum from fixed guide pulleys, while the lines 9 9 from the top plane are attached to the top end of the arm 8, which is then not provided with guide pulleys.

By stalibizing planes 1 mean those performing the functions of ailerons, or of Warping the main plane.

I claim:

1. An aeroplane steering device comprising a normally horizontal handle bar transverse to the machine, adapted to rotate on its long axis, a support for said bar permitting it to tip, or incline in a vertical plane, a vertical pivoted post carrying said support, and permitting the bar to swing in a horizontal plane; an arm projecting upward from said support and provided with guide pulleys at its upper end, a drum atlixed to said handle bar; lines leading from said drum over said pulleys to control the wings; lines leading from the ends of the handle bar to control the rudder; substantially as described.

2. An aeroplane steering device comprising a normally horizontal handle bar adapted to rotate on its long axis, a drum aflixed support to control lateral stability, said supto said bar to control elevation, at pivoted port so mounted as to turn in av horizontal support for said bar permitting it to in plane to control the rudder.

oline in a vertical plane transversely to the MATTHEWV B. SELLERS. direction of the length of the machine, YVitnesses:

whereby either end may be raised or loW- PERRY B. TURJPIN,

cred, an arm projecting upward from said SoLoN C. KEMON.

150mm: eff this! patent may he obtained for five cents each, by adfiressmg the Commissioner of Eetenm. "Washington, D. C. 

